Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  Cant beat it - 1995 Nissan Pathfinder
  By infrared41 - June 17 - 2:00 am

  Bought one with 94,000 miles and have put 40,000 more on it. Not a single problem other than normal wear and tear. Great ride for an SUV. Real workhorse. Great 4wd. Kinda boxy and ugly but thats what makes it cool. Looks like it was made to be driven in poor conditions. An outstanding vehicle. Highly recommended.

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  This Truck Is A Keeper ! ! ! ! - 2009 Nissan Frontier
  By MaximusStimulus - June 16 - 12:56 am

  I have just over 4K miles on this truck. I consider it the best looking truck in its class. It handles well. The ride is slightly stiff but not bad. (Hey...Its a truck...wink) The engine is adequate and the 5 speed auto transmission shifts smooth. The interior is unusually quiet when on the road. (Good sound proofing.) I have the base stereo and it sounds above average. I consider the fit and finish on this truck to be top quality and I look very closely when buying. The interior has excellent quality plastic (dash and door panels, etc) compared to some Ive seen. I get 20-22 MPG on combination driving. I havent done a strictly highway trip...yet. I am completely satisfied ! ! !

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  Great to Drive - 2005 Nissan Murano
  By Marianne - June 15 - 10:36 pm

  Great and fun to drive. Location of cup holders are my only complaint. Cup holders in front and rear are not within easy reach. Otherwise the SUV is perfect. Great handling. I feel safe in the vehicle. Would buy another. 19.5 is not bad gas mileage but would love a highbred with higher mileage if it performed as well.

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  Best Ever Owned - 2013 Nissan 370Z
  By pshiva - June 15 - 9:20 pm

  Excellent Ride. Always go with MT if you can you have full control over the speed unlike AT which has a lag time.

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  Unbelievable Luxury - 2012 Nissan Quest
  By wild8willy - June 15 - 6:10 pm

  We got rid of a Honda Oddy EXL-RES that was the worst vehicle I have ever owned. 9mpg since new and constantly in the shop. Our Quest is like a Bentley. The materials are top notch, the comfort is unmatched and I just love this van. My wife loved it in 2011 and made me go see one and I thought she was out of her mind. Well it kind of grew on me, and then I drove it. You could actually have a conversation at normal voice levels with any row in the van it is so quiet. I could not talk to my wife in our Oddy with her sitting next to me it was so loud. The CVT is actually pretty good in the van. I have one in my 2012 Altima and it is awful and I hate it. We paid Under 30 Grand!!!

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  Great truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Teathlobster - June 15 - 4:23 am

  I have had this truck for two years and have no complaints. I am going to sell and get a new one.

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  Great Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Vicenso - June 14 - 10:00 am

  This truck is overall a great product. As you have noticed everyone loves the power, large cabin and ride Comfort. I have had mine in the shop several times already for various reasons, one being the front brake rotors. Nissan has issued a Bulletin to all dealers regarding the correction of this problem with Most Titan trucks. The interior plastic scratches very easily and yes I do have many rattle noises from the dash which the dealer says they cant do much about. I also had a very annoying squeaking noise from the front passenger seat which I fixed myself. The Utility Bed is awesome with the spray in bed liner, and bed extender, and tie down hooks.

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  Pathfinder Rear Seat Belts - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By mq12518 - June 14 - 10:00 am

  Have had the 2005 pathfinder for a few days. Love the truck, the look the ride. One major gripe - using the lap/shoulder belt for my kids booster setas is near impossible. The seat belt receptor is too short to easily engage when standing outside the vehicle. Nissan (or someone!) needs ot offer a short 3" - 4" extension ASAP. The extension could be easily disengaged and stored if one needed to fold the seat(s) down. Third row receptors are longer - maybe thats the way to place the kids until a remedy is found. I have surfed a few websites for aftermarket extensions - no luck yet.

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  excellent - 2005 Nissan Pathfinder
  By maNDYLYNNN - June 14 - 10:00 am

  i love driving this vehicle, it has great steering, great room, and great look, when you drive it, ts as if, youre floating on a cloud.

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  Great vehicle - beats all competition - 2007 Nissan Sentra
  By Mike - June 13 - 3:20 pm

  I drove all the usual players in this area (Civic, Elantra, Sentra and the Corrola) The nissan is incredibly smooth and handles better than any of the others. Its also much quieter on the inside (wind and engine) than any of the others. I was surprised given how I thought about the old Sentra, but Nissan really did this car right. It has all the most important features that I look for (comfort, quiet, smooth, easy to use dash, looks nice, alloy wheels, convenience package is AWESOME, and the audio package is out of this world) I would recommend getting your Sirius radio installed too. I did the sportster 4 on the dash plugged into the aux input. This works best so you can swap 4 ipod.